Pilot suffers minor injuries after crash

Published: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 01:01 AM.

WEST
BAY
— A pilot was hospitalized with minor injuries Monday after crashing a small plane near the
Northwest
Florida
International
Beach
es
Airport
.

James Land of Panama City was the only person onboard the single-engine Piper PA 25-235 airplane when it crashed in a wooded area north of County 388 and east of State 79. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital with cuts to his head but he is expected to survive, said Maj. Tommy Ford with the
Bay
County
S
heri
ff’s Office.

Deputies with the BCSO, along with first responders from the airport police and Bay County Fire and Rescue, responded to
Vinson Road
after the initial 911 call around 2:15 p.m. The plane had crashed into the trees next to the road.

The aerial advertising plane was built in 1965 and registered to Aerial Banners Inc., of
Broward
County
, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Company officials declined to comment Monday. Local officials said the plane’s owners will be responsible for removing the wreckage.

A hazardous materials response team was at the scene as a precaution Monday afternoon, but there was no fuel spill as a result of the crash, a deputy on the scene said.

The plane is designed to pull banner advertisements though it’s not clear if it was pulling a banner prior to the wreck. The plane did bear a Geico logo on the tail fin, and property managers and deputies were searching the woods near the wreckage for a banner.

BCSO deputies secured the scene and waiting on a response from federal officials, Ford said.

WESTBAY — A pilot was hospitalized with minor injuries Monday after crashing a small plane near the NorthwestFloridaInternationalBeachesAirport.

James Land of Panama City was the only person onboard the single-engine Piper PA 25-235 airplane when it crashed in a wooded area north of County 388 and east of State 79. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital with cuts to his head but he is expected to survive, said Maj. Tommy Ford with the BayCountySheriff’s Office.

Deputies with the BCSO, along with first responders from the airport police and Bay County Fire and Rescue, responded to Vinson Road after the initial 911 call around 2:15 p.m. The plane had crashed into the trees next to the road.

The aerial advertising plane was built in 1965 and registered to Aerial Banners Inc., of BrowardCounty, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Company officials declined to comment Monday. Local officials said the plane’s owners will be responsible for removing the wreckage.

A hazardous materials response team was at the scene as a precaution Monday afternoon, but there was no fuel spill as a result of the crash, a deputy on the scene said.

The plane is designed to pull banner advertisements though it’s not clear if it was pulling a banner prior to the wreck. The plane did bear a Geico logo on the tail fin, and property managers and deputies were searching the woods near the wreckage for a banner.

BCSO deputies secured the scene and waiting on a response from federal officials, Ford said.